Schmitt’s amendment includes provisions to: · Keep men out of women’s sports
Prohibit transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
Occurrences
The Senate on Saturday rejected an amendment to a far-reaching voting bill that would have barred transgender females from playing in girls’ and women’s sports, a provision that President Donald Trump had demanded be included in the legislation. The amendment ... was sponsored by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), a Trump ally who has repeatedly pressed the issue.
it could push the Senate toward that process and get Democrats on record voting against 80-20 issues such as requiring voter ID, proof of citizenship for voter registration, securing mail-in ballots, banning men from women’s sports, and outlawing the transgender mutilation of children.
One provision would bar transgender women and girls from participating in school sports aligned with their gender identity, stating that it would be a violation of federal law to allow ‘a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls,’ and defining sex ‘based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.’
The amendment includes ... banning transgender athletes from women’s sports...
The bill text would also bar recipients of federal funds from allowing 'a person whose sex is male' to compete in women’s sports, defining that term based on 'reproductive biology and genetics at birth.'
Evidence
The Senate on Saturday rejected an amendment to a far-reaching voting bill that would have barred transgender females from playing in girls’ and women’s sports, a provision that President Donald Trump had demanded be included in the legislation. The amendment to the Save America Act, which the chamber has been debating since Tuesday, would have amended Title IX, the landmark 1972 law prohibiting discrimination based on sex at education institutions that receive federal funding. The amendment was sponsored by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), a Trump ally who has repeatedly pressed the issue. Saturday’s vote to advance the amendment required 60 votes under Senate rules. It failed in a party-line vote, with 49 Republican votes in favor and 41 Democrats against it. Several members of both parties were absent.
Other sections of the package include unrelated culture war issues that focus on transgender people. One provision would bar transgender women and girls from participating in school sports aligned with their gender identity, stating that it would be a violation of federal law to allow 'a person whose sex is male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls,' and defining sex 'based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.'
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is leading the Senate effort to amend the SAVE America Act to include a suite of '80-20 issue policies' as pressure mounts on the upper chamber for more legislative wins. Under immense pressure from President Donald Trump and Republican voters, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has brought the SAVE America Act to the floor for an extended debate period. Schmitt is leading the effort to insert a number of policies—including a ban on transgender surgeries for minors—that Trump wants made law into the SAVE America Act, a piece of election integrity legislation that would require proof of citizenship to vote and institute nationwide voter ID.
The Senate on Saturday blocked an amendment that would ban transgender athletes from playing in women's sports, rejecting one of President Donald Trump's priorities as he pressures Congress to act on a broad voting bill. Senators were holding a rare weekend session to debate the ... The House passed the bill earlier this ... .
Assessments
The promised federal prohibition has not been enacted. The supplied evidence shows a Senate amendment to bar transgender women and girls from participating in girls' and women's sports failed on March 21, 2026, falling short of the 60 votes needed. Eric Schmitt appears to have materially advanced the broader amendment effort around the SAVE America Act package, so this qualifies as a serious legislative attempt, but the promised policy outcome was not delivered.
Multiple sources confirm that Senator Eric Schmitt led efforts to include a ban on transgender women participating in women's sports as part of an amendment to the SAVE America Act. Despite these efforts, the Senate rejected the amendment in a party-line vote, failing to achieve the promised outcome. This indicates that a serious legislative attempt was made within the same Senate term but ultimately failed.
Eric Schmitt led and supported a significant legislative attempt to prohibit transgender women from participating in women's sports by pushing for related amendments to the SAVE America Act. The amendment specifically targeting the participation of transgender females in women's sports was proposed and debated but failed to pass due to lack of required votes in the Senate. The evidence shows Schmitt demonstrated notable effort through sponsorship and advocacy, but the promised policy outcome was not delivered.